fabrication and modeling of a polymeric triboelectric nanogenerator considering the edge-effect capacitor

A vertical two-electrode polymeric nanogenerator energy harvester, utilizing kapton and pdms as the positive and negative triboelectric materials, respectively, was investigated through both experimental and numerical approaches. to simulate environmental low-frequency motions, a vibrational force of 20 mn at 8 hz was applied to the device using a custom-designed mechanical instrument. experimental measurements confirmed the nanogenerator's ability to generate an output voltage and current with maximum amplitudes of 4 v and 0.025 μa, respectively. the charge production mechanism of the device was then modeled numerically, both with and without the inclusion of the edge-effect capacitor. the modeling results demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data, with the incorporation of the edge-effect capacitor significantly improving the alignment between calculated and observed values. the validated model provides a valuable tool for designing high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators for various applications and conditions. additionally, further investigations into environmental influences revealed reduced device performance at lower pressures and higher temperatures.